Identified! Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - Pamela Buckley & James Freund #9

[worm]

Back on earlier threads, people brought up that point. Someone made the suggestion that the ‘witness’ account or accounts, even though sincere, might have been highly colored by television—cops and robbers fiction, not news. I find that believable—I’ve witnessed that happen before.

I’ve heard pieces of this one and the gunshots in a rural area isn’t a big deal, I hear the same often. It does strike me that someone would hear that and a car speed away, tv crime show like as you say, and not be suspicious enough to call cops. SC has a long history of people illegally hunting game at night so maybe the locals looked over it for that reason? Fear of making a “spotlighter”, as I’ve always heard them called, angry? It’s not rare either, as my local news can attest, for people to kill farm animals at night just to do it. That gunfire and car getting away fast just should have caused concern depending on how many “residents” heard it. We don’t have that number either.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

BTW, for anyone interested in following another case there is a 1995 Oklahoma version with quite a few similarities. It also has a Websleuths thread:

OK - OK - Pittsburg Co., WhtMale UP5170 & WhtFem UP5174, 18-30, GSW, Apr'95

 

[worm]

I don’t know if I’m mentally strong enough to dig into another case like this.

 

[Ajaygee11]

Thinking back to something I looked into back in 2008 has piqued my interest considering he was from Pennsylvania.

I was looking into the shirt James was wearing and wondered if he might have been a fan of the IMSA Camel GT race series. He was wearing a shirt from the Sebring( florida) race in 1975. That race was in January 1975. I went back and looked at the racing schedule for 1976.

There was a race August 7, 1976 in Talladega Alabama. They were killed August 9, 1976. The next race on the schedule was for August 15th 1976 at the Poconos Raceway in Long pond Pennsylvania.

So, I wondered maybe he was a big racing fan or was working for a team or maybe a vendor, all kinds of vendors work those events, tshirt sales, concessions etc.. Just has me wondering if perhaps they might have been traveling north to go to the Poconos race in PA.

Yes I saw your 2008 post earlier this week. So just to clarify, they raced both days of the weekend at Talladega. On Saturday August 7th, 1975 they had the Camel G.T. Challenge BAMA 200 which was Round 10 of the IMSA Series. On Sunday August 8th, 1975, they had the Eighth Annual Talladega 500 NASCAR Race. On August 14th and 15th they had the Camel G.T. Challenge at Pocono Raceway Pennsylvania which was Round 11 of the IMSA Championship. See attached Program Covers. According to Google Maps it takes 5 Hours and 51 Minutes to get from Talledega Raceway to Sumpter on today’s roads. It takes 15 Hours and 28 Minutes on today’s roads to get from Talledega Raceway to Pocono Raceway.

 

[worm]

Another member @Drew5571 mentioned something earlier that peaks my interest and I’ll let him follow up if he wants rather than plagiarizing the idea.

I’m again bothered by what they were found with, or better said, without. There’s no way, with a military background and seemingly smart, that James just up and left home going who knows where with just sandals. Same with Pamela wearing cut off shorts and open toe shoes. These 2 simply had to have left belongings, probably wherever that fruit and fresh shower was at.

I’m back to Henry. Did he have a rep for heavy drinking or was he a guy who left a bar after a couple too many and got popped for DUI? I’m almost willing to wonder aloud if he could have been set up. I know from growing up here that especially years ago, someone with a bad booze habit or drug use were easily pegged for any crime in town. Of course we know this not to always be so and some serious drinkers and people even hooked on seriously hard drugs go thru life able to function semi normally. I’m sorry but all I have is questions.

 

[killarney rose]

I don’t believe that they left their belongings where they last showered. Ocamm says they were left in the vehicle the killer dumped them out of. Just MOO.

 

[worm]

I don’t believe that they left their belongings where they last showered. Ocamm says they were left in the vehicle the killer dumped them out of. Just MOO.

This is possible too and the stuff was likely burned or buried years ago. Either way, I think they were at a home/motel/camp nearby just before being murdered.

 

[Feme98]

This is possible too and the stuff was likely burned or buried years ago. Either way, I think they were at a home/motel/camp nearby just before being murdered.

It’s completely plausible, I believe that their belongings went with the killer, and this person either dispose of those or maybe just sold them.

 

[worm]

If not for that gun being found by chance, I be betting that somebody picked them up at a store or something near 95, whipped off there, killed them, and vanished back on the road. But this gun complicates that easy notion. Do we know exactly what he lied about on the firearm? I know it was related to how he got it but I’d love to know the specifics. His whole interview would be a great read nut I guess they are guarding that info for some no good reason.

 

[Drew5571]

What if an unnamed suspect was trying to be a Good Samaritan and gave them a place to stay and shower. The person might have given them some ice cream. The unnamed suspect might have made a connection with the female suspect which made the male jealous. Or maybe another person met them at a Stuckey’s , another person may have been riding in the backseat who shoots the victims and takes their belongings. Again, this is pure speculation with no basis in fact.

 

[killarney rose]

MOO is that they had a vehicle. Maybe a van. They had ice cream and fruit. They had showers. They somehow came in contact with the killer(s). He was able to over power them, probably by holding the gun on one or both of them. After killing them and dumping the bodies he left in their vehicle. Said vehicle could’ve been disposed of on private property if the killer was local. Or dumped in another location and the dots were never connected by authorities.

 

[worldwatcher]

Another member @Drew5571 mentioned something earlier that peaks my interest and I’ll let him follow up if he wants rather than plagiarizing the idea.

I’m again bothered by what they were found with, or better said, without. There’s no way, with a military background and seemingly smart, that James just up and left home going who knows where with just sandals. Same with Pamela wearing cut off shorts and open toe shoes. These 2 simply had to have left belongings, probably wherever that fruit and fresh shower was at.

I’m back to Henry. Did he have a rep for heavy drinking or was he a guy who left a bar after a couple too many and got popped for DUI? I’m almost willing to wonder aloud if he could have been set up. I know from growing up here that especially years ago, someone with a bad booze habit or drug use were easily pegged for any crime in town. Of course we know this not to always be so and some serious drinkers and people even hooked on seriously hard drugs go thru life able to function semi normally. I’m sorry but all I have is questions.

Hi, just jumping in here, I read that Henry was a recovering alcoholist.
The conclusion of his polygraph raised more questions, then answers from what I read.. Could be that he had a black out, due to alcohol, and when asked if he killed them. Given the times of the murders... #happendatmidnight.He couldn't remember? What he was doing around that time/day...maybe a drinking day...?!
Is there more known about his brother/family?
Also, it was 1976,have no clue how accurate a polygraph test was..

Also from my memory, must have read, that both victims hands were described as clean and manicured, so Imo, I rule James out of work as a mechanic, during the last weeks of his travels.
But that's MOO.
Who ever took off with the van(?) had their possessions on board. There was never a mention of unclaimed personal items, otherwise.. I would guess, they would have been ID-ed, soon after..
^MOO^

 

[killarney rose]

Good point about James ‘ nails. But let me throw this out there. Ive used the same mechanic for 20+ years. He is a mechanic during the day for the Honda dealership. Nights and weekends he has his own personal shop he works from.
This man is immaculate in his personal cleanliness as well as his shop. And the best, most honest mechanic I know. Ive never seen a smudge or a speck of grease on him or in his shop. His hands and nails too, are spotless.

 

[worldwatcher]

Good point about James ‘ nails. But let me throw this out there. Ive used the same mechanic for 20+ years. He is a mechanic during the day for the Honda dealership. Nights and weekends he has his own personal shop he works from.
This man is immaculate in his personal cleanliness as well as his shop. And the best, most honest mechanic I know. Ive never seen a smudge or a speck of grease on him or in his shop. His hands and nails too, are spotless.

Could also be, but he is not on the road, so easy access to facilities to clean, your hands and vingernails?
But then again, maybe some snatch works on the road would be easier to clean, then working daily-8 hours.

 

[killarney rose]

I don’t thinks it’s likely, but not impossible, either.

 

[worm]

The problem with them having a van/car is they would have been traveling in different states in an unregistered car with no or stolen tags. SC at that time required 2 and inspection sticker on the windshield.

I believe it to be a lone murderer. Unless it was more and one eliminated the other(s), it’s unlikely but not impossible that 2+ kept it quiet.

 

[killarney rose]

The car would’ve been registered in the home state of its owner- either James or Pamela. Not SC as they were not from there.

 

[user0101]

I found this mentioning of Sunlending in the Billboard Campus Attractions dated March 25th 1972 on Page 118

"SUNLENDING (Vocal & Instrumental Group-3); BA: Projects IV; PM. Keith Christianson"

Anyone in the music industry know what PM stands for ? could it be Project Manager ?

I'm in the search of their music catalogue.

https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1972/BB-1972-03-25-II.pdf

 

[wmm85]

I found this mentioning of Sunlending in the Billboard Campus Attractions dated March 25th 1972 on Page 118

"SUNLENDING (Vocal & Instrumental Group-3); BA: Projects IV; PM. Keith Christianson"

Anyone in the music industry know what PM stands for ? could it be Project Manager ?

I'm in the search of their music catalogue.

https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1972/BB-1972-03-25-II.pdf

Personal Management perhaps?
I think I found Mr. Christianson - looks like he was also from Minnesota, and passed away in 2004. Here's his obituary:
Obituary for Keith R. Christianson

 

[Vern]

I found this mentioning of Sunlending in the Billboard Campus Attractions dated March 25th 1972 on Page 118

"SUNLENDING (Vocal & Instrumental Group-3); BA: Projects IV; PM. Keith Christianson"

Anyone in the music industry know what PM stands for ? could it be Project Manager ?

I'm in the search of their music catalogue.

https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1972/BB-1972-03-25-II.pdf

Some of the other bands are noted with a "BA", a "PM" or both "BA and PM" followed by a name.

BA would be Booking Agent; I think the PM is Production Manager. Music is normally referred to as a production vice a project. Just speculating.

Edit to add: @wmm85 's suggestion of "Personnel Manager" also makes a lot of sense in the music scene / talent management context.